Durkan Forms Her Small Business Advisory Council

An executive order sets March 1 as the council's deadline for its first meeting.

Mayor Jenny Durkan on Friday announced the start of another campaign promise, to select a Small Business Advisory Council that would help develop policy with the city and address the challenges small businesses face in Seattle.

Durkan released a list of 29 members of the council that include two council members, Lisa Herbold and Teresa Mosqueda, and representatives from a range of industries, from the food service industry to tech, energy, and child care companies. Four co-chairs will run the council: representatives from the Ethnic Business Coalition, Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria, Marjorie Restaurant and Mint Holding, and Elliott Bay Book Company.

The announcement follows an executive order to create the council, which Durkan signed in November shortly after taking office—the order set a deadline of February 1 to create the council and March 1 for the group to have its full meeting.

The council was just one part of Durkan's plan to appeal to small businesses, which she released on the campaign trail back in September. She also said she wanted to exempt small startups from the business-and-occupation tax for up to three years, or when their revenues exceed $1 million. (The city would lose an estimated $1.7 million, she said.)

The council would identify issues impacting small businesses, review the impacts of city projects, fees or regulations and recommend policies, according to the mayor's office.

“Inventing the future and maintaining vibrant neighborhoods means supporting the tens of thousands of small businesses that call Seattle home,” Durkan said in a statement Friday. “With the creation of the Small Business Advisory Council, Seattle’s diverse and innovative small businesses will have a meaningful voice in City Hall. They will be a great help in crafting solutions to our city’s urgent challenges of affordability and growth.”

Here's the full list of members on the council:

Co-Chair Joe Fugere, Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria

Co-Chair Taylor Hoang, Cyclo Corp., Ethnic Business Coalition

Co-Chair Donna Moodie, Marjorie Restaurant, Mint Holding

Co-Chair Tracy Taylor, Elliott Bay Book Company

Maryan Abdulle, Nasib Family Child Care

Zewditu Aschenaki, Salon Adidez

Joey Burgess, Queer/Bar, Grim’s Provisions and Spirits

Shaiza Damji, Hotel Nexus

Solomon Dubie, Café Avole

Annette Heide-Jessen, Kaffeeklatsch

Edouardo Jordan, Salare Restaurant, JuneBaby

Lacey Leavitt, Electric Dream Factory

Elise Lindborg, ZippyDogs LLC

Rachel Marshall, Rachel's Ginger Beer

Michael Megalli, indie.biz

Debbie Millard, Ballard Oil Company

Molly Moon, Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream

Linda Morton, Terra Plata

Gayle Nowicki, Gargoyles Statuary

Kamala Saxton, Marination

Lei Ann Shiramizu, Momo

Leigh Stone, Crybaby Studios

Gail Stringer, Hawaii General Store

Chuck Wang, Stage

Edwin Wanji, Sphere Solar Energy

Beto Yarce, Ventures

Lara Zahaba, Stoup Brewing

Councilmember Lisa Herbold

Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda

Updated 8:50am on February 6, 2018, to include Rachel Marshall as a member of the council after a corrected press release.